


Two Jameses

by OzeanPoliti



Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1920s-30s, Angst, Child Death, I was inspired by a few books and movies, I'm thinking of still writing it, Jewish Barnes Family, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Minor Character Death, Original Character? - Freeform, Other, Pre-World War 2, Sad, Young Bucky, historical (me trying to be historical), i don't know how to tag, or write a summary, this was supposed to be for a multiple chapter story called Steve and James
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-02-22 23:36:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23702209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzeanPoliti/pseuds/OzeanPoliti
Summary: The James Buchanan Barnes, aka Bucky, we all know and love is (not) the eldest child of his family. Born on March 10, 1917, James Buchanan Barnes will be the 'firstborn' of four children. James will be the only 'son' in George Barnes' family. That at least what most historical documents say.
Relationships: James Bucky barnes & Winnifred Barnes, family dynamics/relationship
Kudos: 9





	Two Jameses

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. This was supposed to be a chapter for a multi-chapter story I was going to write, but I got too self-conscious about it and deleted it. I plan to write a story that goes more into depth about James and Steve. But that may be a while, I hope you enjoy this one-shot.
> 
> I actually reread it this time and cringe at how many errors I had beforehand. Hopefully, I didn't miss that many this time. (this is my first fanfic and Grammarly is my beta reader)

James Buchanan Barnes was born on March 10th, 1917, to George and Winnifred Barnes. It is undocumented the time of day or place where he was born, but there is an assumption to say the location resided in Brooklyn, New York. James Buchanan Barnes would be the _firstborn_ of four children. All born healthy and at home. James would be the only _son_ in George Barnes' family.

* * *

George Barnes, otherwise known as Dr. Barnes, is a Civilian Physician. He served as a surgeon for the Allies in Italy during World War 1. James described his father as a stern, wiry, old man. He always wore a thin leather watch and circular rimmed glasses. He was said to show emotion to others outside his family rarely. He never liked the city of New York. He was brought up originally from Illinois. The only reason he traveled to NYC was because of an upscale job offer he got, after his time _abroad_ in Italy. 

George Barnes hated war, never agreed with it. In Italy, he had seen the worst things imaginably done to a human being. Soldiers screaming in pain for loved ones. Some of them losing an eye or a limb from a rifle or cannon, some sitting in medical tents bleeding out before anything can be done. George Barnes saw boys looking barely seventeen shift from excited and ambitious people to being dull husks of their past self. The worst part about treating those combat boys from the Great War wasn't that they'd had their flesh torn, it was that they had had their souls torn out. All humanity stripped away from them. After his time spent in Europe with patients of all different walks of life, he convinced himself he will never go through something like that again. He would never have his children go through what those soldiers and civilians did. They will never lose the spark in their eyes. Never lose sight of humanity. 

* * *

Winnifred Barnes was bullheaded women that few would argue with ~~(James was the only one once in a while who gained enough strength to talk back, even when he knew he shouldn’t)~~. She grew up in the Hasting Street Area of Detroit, Michigan. Her father worked at the Ford Highland Park Plant and mother worked at a flower shop on Hasting Street. At the age of 19, Winnifred would leave Detroit behind to chase her dreams in the heart of Broadway. She would not succeed in this dream and instead _fell_ in love with a doctor. They would get married in the summer of 1915. 

Winnifred Barnes admits later in life to her sister that one of the reasons she married George was to have an excuse to move away from her parents. She never liked her parents. She loathes them both. She hopes that her children will never reject her. She later convinced herself they would never leave her like she left her parents in Detroit. They will never fight. They would never split apart. They will be happy. They will be content. This may not hold the test of time as she hoped. 

* * *

* * *

There was another sibling in the Barnes household. He would have been the eldest child of the Barnes family. He was born March 11th, 1916, stillborn...lifeless...dead. He came into this world without a single breath. Not having a brit milah or given a name before his departure. He was born on a Saturday, born barely over a year before the second brother. He was given his name after his death, James Buchanan Barnes. It is unknown why George and Winnifred named their true firstborn son after the 15th President of the United States. Perhaps they were supporters or he was in relation to them somehow.

James Buchanan Barnes was buried in the Machpelah Cemetery. He has his little tombstone to prove he’s there... six feet under them. Nothing else was printed on the plaque beside his name, the Star of David, and the year 1916. He was the first stillborn to be buried in the cemetery. 

Roughly close to one year later, on March 10th, 1917, Winnifred Barnes would give birth to another son, this time healthy and living. They name this oneJames as well. He was also given the same middle name Buchanan, after the 15th President. James Buchanan Barnes, born March 10th, 1917. Unlike his elder brother, James would go on to have his brit milah and many other traditional celebrations. Though, the first James still haunts the Barnes’ family. Winnifred continuously goes to Machpelah Cemetery almost every one to two weeks to visit the first James’ grave. George Barnes has gotten on her for going so frequently. Winnifred won’t have any of it. 

Once in a while on her outings to the cemetery, she will bring along the second James. Written in one of James Barnes letters to a close friend of his, he expresses his distress going to the cemetery with his mother when he was five ~~(until he told her didn’t want to join her anymore which resulted in a heated argument and Winnifred stopped talking to her _only_ son for a week)~~ to fourteen. Rarely would George or any of his sisters be brought along to visit the cemetery. James expresses in his letter how he hated walking with his mother to where the first James lays to rest. It always gave him chills, nightmares when he was younger, seeing a gravestone with his name engraved on the slab. Every time they got to _his_ grave, Winnifred would let go of James’ hand and stare blankly at the grave for what felt like an eternity. Before his eyes become red-rimmed and puffy, she would always talk about her day, ignoring the James that is alive standing next to her. James knew never to reach out his hand to hers or talk to his mother when they were at his grave. She would always get upset at him. James still doesn’t truly understand why his mother brought him to the other's grave if she didn’t want him to comfort her or speak. He was quite annoyed with her enthusiasm when taking him with her, but going silent when they arrived. She only has eyes for a piece of rock. Maybe she hints to him that he could have died as well. Maybe something else. He’s dismissed the part of his mind thinking she wanted him dead instead of the first James...Mostly. 

Perhaps she was hinting at him to do better than the first. Be better. Be a good child similar to how Winnifred views the first James.

James Buchanan Barnes, the second eldest child of the Barnes’ family. The only son of the George Barnes family. James Buchanan Barnes, born March 10th, 1917. The soon to be man with pomaded slick back, chestnut brown hair, and gunmetal blue eyes. He’s described by neighbors and family members as passionate, kind, a charmer, loud, and much more. He was very smart and talented in mathematics as well as marksmanship. He would go with dock work friends to the forested parts of New York or gun ranges to practice shooting. Something Winnifred, and George, looked down upon. 

The oldest child in a considerably big family. James was not, and never would be a common firstborn. He wasn’t viewed highly by his mother or by as many as people would think. Not a common eldest “good boy.” Not someone to heavily look up too. Perhaps, that child lays in the Machpelah Cemetery in Queens. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully, you enjoyed reading this one-shot. I hope to write more in the future and heavily improve on it


End file.
